{"id":6282,"date":"2023-05-28T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=6282"},"modified":"2023-04-09T20:51:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T01:51:00","slug":"serenity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=6282","title":{"rendered":"Serenity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Abundant Life: Riches money can\u2019t buy\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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The abundant life knows that life is unpredictable. You can\u2019t control life. However, you can control your reaction to it. That\u2019s what the first part of the serenity prayer is all about. It says, \u201cGod, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This kind of serenity is not complacency. The prayer goes on to ask God for \u201ccourage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.\u201d This serenity is what helps us deal with those \u201cit is what it is\u201d circumstances in our lives\u2014those situations you can do nothing about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, let\u2019s say you are seated in a restaurant. When they bring the menu, there are no prices listed. You are too embarrassed to ask what the items cost or leave, so you order. Then the bill comes. It is what it is, so you pay it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you have car trouble in a remote town. There is only one lone gas station and you need your car fixed. Then the bill comes. It is what it is, so you pay it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life is full of \u201cit is what it is\u201d moments. Some are inconveniences. Your child gets sick at school and you have to leave the big meeting to go get him. You have a really, really bad hair day. Your car won\u2019t start, so you are late. It is what it is, so you deal with it.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some circumstances are very unfair. You do the work but your superior takes the credit. Your spouse has found someone younger and more attractive, so asks for a divorce. You are the victim of unwarranted gossip. It is what it is, so you cope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other things may be unfair but you get the benefit. You get the promotion when the other guy should have gotten it. You survive the accident when you should have died. The cop didn\u2019t give you a ticket even though you were speeding. It is what it is, so you rejoice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of life is a mystery. We don\u2019t know what will come next all the time. It is what it is! I think God planned it that way. If we knew everything, we wouldn\u2019t need faith. We don\u2019t know what tomorrow holds. It is what it is! Fortunately, we know who holds tomorrow and God can see us through whatever lies ahead, if we let Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those living the abundant life know that the great \u201cI AM\u201d (John 8:58) can help us make it through any \u201cit is what it is\u201d situations that come our way! They ask God to grant them the serenity to accept things they cannot change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*****<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/em>\u2026I have come that they may have life and that they<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

may have it more abundantly.\u201d ~John 10:10 (KJV)<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Abundant Life: Riches money can\u2019t buy\u2026 The abundant life knows that life is unpredictable. You can\u2019t control life. However, you can control your reaction to it. That\u2019s what the first part of the serenity prayer is all about. It … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6282"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6290,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6282\/revisions\/6290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}